Attitude towards Teaching Profession: A Comparative Study among Public and Private Schools Teachers Teaching at Elementary Level

Abstract

Quality education has always been a core focus in society because it contributes to a country's development. Several factors can influence the quality of education; however, classroom environment, teachers' competence, and their attitude toward teaching are major factors. The current study was conducted to explore teachers’ attitudes toward the teaching profession at the elementary level in public and private schools in Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan. The target population included all teachers at the elementary level working in public and private institutions in District Gujrat, while teachers in elementary schools of Tehsil Gujrat made up the accessible population. A two-stage random sampling method was used to select forty elementary schools—twenty public and twenty private. A researcher-developed questionnaire, Teachers’ Attitude toward Teaching Profession (TATTP), based on a five-point Likert scale, was used to assess teachers’ attitudes. The instrument was piloted and demonstrated to be reliable and valid. Data were collected through personal visits to the selected schools, where questionnaires were distributed to teachers. The data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and independent sample t-tests with SPSS 21 software. Significant differences were found between public and private school teachers in preparation, commitment, volunteerism, and enthusiasm, while no significant difference was observed in the professional association dimension. The results showed that private school teachers had more positive attitudes toward the teaching profession compared to their public school counterparts.